Handful of Rejection
by DefenestrationByApple
Summary: She pulled away, slightly flushed. Tim smirked, as if they just shared a dirty little secret, which in fact, they sort of did. "What are you doing?" "Living." He stated simply, taking a swig from his deserted can. Tim/OC. Don't own FNL.
1. Pilot

Friday Night Lights

Handful of Rejection

Chapter 1

Tim Riggins is an incompetent asshole, but a dependable person when he considered you a friend. Jessica debated with herself as she sat outside, waiting for him on her doorstep. He promised to be on time for once, especially today since it was the first game of the season; but sure enough, the morning progressed without so much as a text from him. This was a typical occurrence, seeing as how he had poor time management skills and a lack of motivation for anything that had to do with school. Despite knowing this, she still depended on him when she was out of options, and had no other favorable alternatives. When faced with the decision of either being late to school or not going at all, she preferred the latter.

It was nearing 8am; at this rate she'd be lucky if she arrived before the end of first period. Of all the days to be late…She sighed heavily, standing up and taking one last look down the street. Seeing nothing remotely close to a pickup truck in sight, she gathered her book bag and proceeded to walk herself to school. It wasn't a particularly pleasant walk, but she no longer had the patience to wait for this man. This incompetent, good for nothing, compulsively lying-

"Hey."

Apparently, his dependability was on his own time.

Jessica paused mid-step, turning slightly to see one disheveled Tim Riggins leaning idly out of his truck's window. A tired half grin was plastered on his face, and he looked at her as if nothing was astray; her annoyance didn't dawn on him.

As abruptly as he came, she left. She turned away from him without so much as a "goodbye", and continued in the direction that she was previously headed. She didn't need him now; she was already late. An extra 30 minute delay wouldn't matter much, and honestly, she didn't want to see his face. He always did this! She just never learned.

Tim followed her with the truck, pacing himself so that he was driving as fast as she was walking. He looked at her and the road in uneven intervals, unaware of the cause of her current disposition. Wearily, he asked, "Where are you going?"

Without stopping, she replied, "School. Not that you'd understand the concept."

He sighed deeply, brushing a few stray wisps of hair from his face. Again he looked to her, remorse evident with his expression. "Jess, come on…"

She ignored him, stopping briefly to cross the street.

"Jessica."

She stopped, refusing to look in his direction. Tim's actions had the desired effect. She absolutely hated her name, especially when it came from him.

"What?" she snapped.

He smirked, a mixture of relief and triumph. Calmly, he asked, "Will you get in the truck…please?"

"No," and with a hint of sarcasm she added, "I'm just fine walking."

"Get in the truck, Taylor."

Giving up, she walked briskly to the passenger side of the truck and hopped in, none too gently slamming the door shut. She didn't acknowledge him, and he said no more. She glanced at the radio and saw that the time was 8:21. She inwardly sighed. Yes, she was definitely late for school, but at least she didn't have to walk ten blocks to get there.

Dillon High was livelier than usual, the normally boisterous students even more animate, pumped up for the game that would take place later on in the day. Jessica was in her element. Being a cheerleader for the best football team in Texas set her up for a life of social abundance and unfortunately, assumed superficiality; however, it did have its perks. She was popular in her own standards, knowing a majority of people, but only acknowledging those who mattered to her. In addition, being grouped with the jocks did give her leeway; though she didn't want to admit it, the cheerleaders and the football players did receive special treatment. It was subtle, but it was there.

She glanced around the crowded lobby, looking for other members of her team. Since she was yet _again_ late for school that morning; she missed the brief meeting between her colleagues. She was out of the loop, and honestly did not know how the evening was supposed to turn out. Given her position, that was not such a good thing. Coincidently, the very people she was looking for were nowhere in sight. This was starting to be the story of her life.

"That mother fucker…always messing shit up for me…"

"You wouldn't be talking about my dear cousin by any chance, would you?"

Jessica was met with the cheesiest smile she'd ever encountered. It was so out of place that she couldn't help but let out a few chuckles in relief.

"Amber." She said, in greeting.

"Yeah, yeah. Lyla's real pissed that you missed the meeting. Going on about how everything has to be perfect and every absence, or whatever kills our chances. You know how she gets…" She said, cutting to the chase. Amber was a blunt one, to say it simply; sarcastic as well, but not to the point that you couldn't talk to her. She is Jessica's best friend, her confidant, and she just so happened to be Tim Riggins cousin.

"So are we still on for practice right after school?"

"Of course. She wouldn't have it any other way." With a friendly pat on the arm, she walked away, probably to her next class. Jessica stood there for a minute, gathering her wits and absorbing the information. Practice was still on. She didn't miss much, after all. Deciding to make like Amber, she headed off to class.

Practice went on as it usually did, nothing being too different since the entire session consisted of perfecting the current routine. Jessica felt a bit sore, but it was nothing out of the ordinary; in fact, it made her feel accomplished. Granted, cheerleading wasn't really her thing; she joined partly because Amber bugged her about it and partly because she wanted to support Tim. And why wouldn't she? He was practically her best guy friend. He was there for her most of the time; she wanted to return the favor.

Tim…why was he always one her mind? One way or another he would creep his way into her thoughts, make her feel some type of way…she couldn't explain it, and would rather not delve into it deeper. Because when it came down to it, he did have an affect over her, but to what extent, even she couldn't fathom. Who didn't feel something for Tim, anyway? She saw the way all the rally girls looked at him, the cheerleaders as well; with the exception of Amber, of course, because they were family.

Jessica didn't realize that she was being watched by the very person that was plaguing her thoughts; he was standing idly against the side of the school building drinking a can of cheap beer. In all her self-absorption, she strolled right past him and was headed towards the double-doors that led to the girls' locker rooms, until his husky voice stopped her. Startled by the sudden utterance, she turned around and faced the man. Tim smiled, probably from the alcohol more than anything else.

"Hey." He rasped, the can lolling from his hand, in danger of falling. Jessica shook her head at the typical scene.

"Don't you have somewhere to be Tim? You are aware that you have a game in less than five hours, right?"

He shrugged, unperturbed. "Don't I always?"

"Don't you have practice or whatever right now?" she countered, clearly not affected by his nonchalant attitude. Tim was pretty predictable in that aspect.

"It's nothing I didn't do before."

Jessica sighed. The conversation was going nowhere. "Listen, Tim, I don't have time for this. I have to go-"

"You never give anyone the time of day, Jess..." he said, stepping up to her and running his free hand up and down her right arm with a light touch. She shivered from the contact.

"I'm talking to you right now, aren't I?" she said nervously, but she didn't back away.

"Hiding yourself behind wit. Nice comeback, Taylor."

She frowned at the statement and made to walk away; however Tim had other plans, and proceeded to instead pull her closer, using her momentum against her. Jessica gasped at the pressure of his hand on her wrist, and was even more surprised to feel herself relaxing against his chest. She didn't entirely know what was going on, but she went with it. He initiated it, after all.

"Doesn't that feel better, Jess…?" He whispered, close enough for her to feel his breath on her neck. "Slowing down…" he continued, lips brushing softly against her ear, "For once..?" His breath left tickling trails down her neck, and she cringed a little at the odd sensation. After a tentative moment he placed a kiss right at the base of her jaw, and she knew she had to stop this before it went any farther. She pulled away, slightly flushed. Tim smirked, as if they just shared a dirty little secret, which in fact, they sort of did.

"What are you doing?"

"Living." He stated simply, taking a swig from his deserted can.

"Listen, Tim I don't-"

"Should'nt you be somewhere right now, Taylor?" He cut in, looking at her smugly.

Jessica walked away without a goodbye, ignoring the muffled chuckles that were coming from the asshole behind her. She inwardly berated herself for letting him get to her again. Tim just wouldn't leave her alone, in every sense of the word. Alone, she started her trek home, hoping the solitude would help give her some clarity.

The time for the game finally arrived, and the crowd couldn't be happier. They erupted into applause with every little victory the team had, whether it was a player avoiding a tackle, or someone making a touchdown. Jessica cheered on her team with as much pep as she could muster; the day wasn't in her favor in regards to the happiness scale. But she'd pull through. Though she didn't want to admit it, the "cheer spirit" was contagious, and as the night went on she found herself needing to fake it less and less.

Westerbee scored, tying with the Panthers for the moment. The Cheerleaders shouted in encouragement, giving the players the boost of confidence they needed to carry on. Jessica and Amber threw smiles to the passing football players, waving their pompoms and jumping around giving off the image that all was right in the world. And that was how they were expected to act. They were there to spread the cheer, goddammit, and by the way they were exhausting energy, they might as well be throwing it up. Jessica searched the field, spotting the particular player she was looking for: #33 AKA Tim Riggins. Honestly, that was the only person she really cheered for. That was why she always coaxed the energy out of her tired body, because when it came down to it, Tim was her inspiration. Tim was the person that made her happy despite all his little defects.

"GO PANTHERS! KICK THAT ASS!" shouted Amber, fist pumping the air with such conviction that Jessica couldn't help but laugh.

"You definitely have school spirit."

"Damn straight, gotta represent! I have to spread the love around, since you only give it up for Tim!"

"Whatever!"

Halftime followed shortly after the last score, meaning that the cheerleading team was expected to give a performance that lived up to their reputation. The football players left the field and piled themselves into the locker room with Coach Taylor, probably to get a pep talk and to discuss future strategies to be used later on in the game. Jessica and Amber followed Lyla's lead as she led the team further out onto the field in a synchronized line, moving their bodies in a hypnotic pattern to the beat that the band was making. When they were in the middle of the field, the band and the team nearly merged, eliciting hollers from the excited crowd, and added energies to the members of this already popular performance. They performed their routine until the song was over, rhythmically moving themselves in the way that they memorized especially for this game. Lyla led them on, and they mirrored her advances until it was over. With much applause the cheerleaders and the band receded from the field back to their primary positions, and readied themselves for the game to once again commence.

The players returned to the field with as much energy as they left it. Westerbee seemed to have more momentum, however; their tackles more feverent and managing to score one over the Panthers. Jessica smiled nervously, her actions a little more forced then before. The game was close, 14 to 24, and she honestly didn't know which side would take the victory. It was her job to have faith in her team, and she guessed she did, considering that she did care at all.

The last score left the crowd in an uproar, and the team worked even harder to get the game on track. Jessica overheard the announcer mention that they needed two possessions to win the game. That couldn't be too hard, right? But the guy did say that "This would be a critical play for the Panthers", so she wasn't so sure…

Jason held the ball to the #1, and unfortunately it was intercepted by a player from the other team. Jessica shouted in annoyance. He ran the opposite way down the field, clearly. The members of his team formed a sort of wall around him, protecting him from a potential onslaught by some domineering Panther. The anxiety was building within Jessica, and by the looks of it, amber as well. The Panthers needed a score! They were so close!

Jason was the only one with a clear shot at player #20, being a quarterback, it wasn't his job to pursue the runner, but he went for it anyway. Running with a purpose that would rival his opponent's, he went at #20 from the right practically diving at him, rather than successfully performing a tackle. Jason fell to the ground with a resounding thud, completely still. Jessica and the other cheerleaders paused, uncertain of what happened. Coach Taylor looked out onto the field, slightly confused and obviously uncertain of what happened, himself.

After a few seconds, the crowd went silence as well. Several men ran out on the field to Jason's side, looking him over. His mother ran to his side as well, crying at the heap that was her son. An ambulance arrived soon after, and a stretcher was produced from the back to carry Street away to a hospital.

"That doesn't look too good..." Amber commented. Jessica nodded in agreement.

Tim didn't look so good.

Jessica made to go after him, but soon after Jason left, the game once again commenced. Jessica stood to the side, no longer wanting to pretend to cheer. Today just got worse, and she didn't think that was possible. The others continued to cheer, despite the bitter event.

Jessica zoned out for the rest of the game, but from the highly audible sounds coming from the audience, she figured that the Panthers made it through and won. She should've feel ecstatic, but she couldn't muster up the emotion. All she felt was an aching numbness. For Jason.

For Tim.

Jessica accompanied Tim to the hospital, but they didn't stay long. He lofted around without much purpose, not staying in one spot for more than a couple minutes. He'd look into the room every now and then, gauging his progress solely on what he could see. Jessica looked at him through the corner of her eyes, not quite brave enough to meet him full on. She never had to deal with something like this. Granted, she wasn't even as close to Jason as Tim was, so she felt as if she was intruding on something private as well.

They left the building wordlessly, hopping into the truck with detached interest. She figured that she wouldn't be going home anytime soon, so she sat back, quietly waiting for Tim to start it up. Instead he just sat there, staring out the window. Fiddling with his keys. Doing anything but moving forward. Jessica felt sorry for him; he had a close relationship with Jason, so she could only imagine how he felt…

"Tim…I…If there's anything I can do..."

"Don't." A firm request, but a weak plea. Tim looked over to her then, eyes dull and unseeing. Jessica wanted to do something for him, anything to ease his pain, but she was at a loss on how to do so.

"Tim…listen. I know that-"

"No! That's just it! You don't!" he shouted, fists slamming against the steering wheel. She looked at him, surprised and a little scared at his outburst. In his state, she couldn't hold it against him. "You don't KNOW anything!"

With a swift movement that betrayed his mood, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him; how he accomplished this with the limited space in the truck, she couldn't fathom. How his lips ended up on hers, she couldn't fathom either; whatever the case, she didn't deny him. His hands moved slowly up her back, tracing the contours of her spine with deft fingers. She shivered at the coolness of the contact. Her lips parted in response to the treatment they were getting, but as abruptly as it started it ended; Tim pulled away.

"Wha…?" Jessica managed, borderline delirious.

"We can't."

With that, he started up the engine and left the empty lot, Jessica's mind running faster than his mileage.


	2. Eyes Wide Open

AN: So my plan was to update every Friday, but it didn't work out for this chapter. That's because I had a God-forsaken (literally) essay to write, and well, because I sort of got lazy. But it's here. Meatier then the previous chapter, and hopefully a little better. It cuts around a lot, but only because there's so many scenes. But hey, don't let me keep you waiting..

Chapter 2

It was a typical Monday with the exception of the off-hour visit to the hospital; Jessica tagged along, partly because she needed a ride to school, and partly because Tim's emotional state worried her. His shuffling woke her up early that morning, and despite his mumbles of "go back to sleep", she insisted on accompanying him on this visit. He didn't argue with her, and went about his business as if she wasn't there. She took no offense to his actions; with how listless he was, he probably didn't realize how harsh he came off. He was coping terribly with what happened. He always seemed like he was about to cry; he hardly ate and his diet consisted of a hell of a lot more alcohol than it did just a few days ago. In addition, his attitude took a turn for the worse. The change in his personality worried Jessica the most; yes all his domineering traits were still there, but if you knew him like she did, then you would realize that there was something significantly different about him. Something she hoped would pass as he healed.

It was only four in the morning, yet he managed to make it to Jason's room without any trouble. No one was in sight to stop him anyway, not that it would have made any difference at this point. Tim stood outside of his door, wordlessly looking into the window at the former Quarterback of the Dillon Panthers. Jessica made no comment and instead hung back at the end of the hallway, leaving him his privacy. Sometimes doing nothing for a person was the best for them, and in this case Jessica abided by that principle. Let him wallow in himself for now, figure things out. If he asked for something, then she would provide it. But only then.

There was no practice that afternoon on account of Lyla rushing to the hospital immediately at the end of ninth period. Jessica was happy for that fact; at least for a day she wouldn't have to see the distraught faces of the other girls. That mixed with the mood Tim seemed to be in wore her down more than any practice could. Amber was delighted in this fact as well; though she didn't particularly know Jason Street, seeing him get injured was a little too real for her. She was a bit shaken up, so a break would do her some good as well.

Since she had to wait for Tim anyway, she decided to just sit on the bleachers situated on the football field. Watching the team for once instead of cheering for them was refreshing. She could see how dedicated everyone was to their specific task. Matt Saracen, the replacement QB1, wasn't having such an easy job as everyone else. It did make sense; he was new, hardly known, and expected to perform as well as his predecessor. It was a lot for someone to take on in such a small amount of time, but she had to admit he was doing well so far. Until he missed the linebacker, and boy did he get chewed out then.

Perhaps this wasn't a peaceful alternative, after all.

Tim wound up staying late, so once again she found herself tagging along on another one of his whims. He hung around until most everyone left, glancing at Jessica every once in a while, and exchanging little words. She didn't mind much, and busied herself with mundane things like her homework, and worse, her thoughts. To say that the stresses of her teenaged life were getting to her was an understatement; things were getting worse with her father. He took to blaming her for everything nowadays, including her mother's death. The verbal abuse was easy enough to deal with, but it was when it got physical that she couldn't take it. Receiving hits from her own father wasn't the best gift she ever got, but she dealt with it silently. The bruises weren't so severe that it kept her from doing everyday things, but…She touched her side lightly, feeling what was going to be a nasty welt pretty soon. Her father caught her off guard that time, coming at her when she just got out of the shower. She practically ran to Tim's house after that, the excuse of "he locked me out" on her lips. She didn't tell anybody about what was really going on, though she figured some people had their suspicions.

Amidst her thoughts, she noticed Tim approaching a side door leading to the gym so she followed, curious at this change of activity.

"What are you doing?"

"Why are you still here?"

She looked over his shoulder and saw that he was working the lock with a thin piece of metal. And then it all sunk in.

"You're breaking in. Why?"

"That's not really your concern, is it? Go home. Now." His request wasn't up for discussion. He could have at least had the decency to tell her earlier.

"Whatever." She made to leave and he immediately went back to his work, oblivious of the fact that she wasn't gone at all, but merely a few steps away. She watched him, engrossed in his work and knew that he was up to no good. Someone would have to be there to make up a plausible excuse as to why he was in the school without authorized permission. And he sure as hell wasn't in the right mindset to come up with a good answer.

It seemed that he finally managed to throw the lock. He entered without a backwards glance and she followed, unbeknownst to him. She tried to stay as quite as possible. She didn't want him to know that she was still there; she would get so much shit that she wouldn't be able to sift through it. It looked like he was going towards the gym storage rooms. She couldn't fathom what business he would have there and it piqued her interest even more.

Sounds of shuffling and movement erupted from the room, and she made sure to keep her distance. She recognized this room. It held a projector and spare equipment, the latter of which he was starting up.

She stood there from a distance and watched the scene unfold; Tim sitting by himself in front of the projector watching the game from a week ago. Rewinding it as soon as it got to a certain point, replaying the very moment that destroyed his best friend's career. She watched him blame himself, letting the guilt overflow from him in the form of tears. He told her that it was because he didn't get there in time, he didn't provide enough of a defense for Street. Jessica would tell him that he was too far away to get there in time, but he wouldn't listen. He dismissed the plausible answers for the one's that put blame on someone; even if that someone was him, in this case. Accidents such as these were easier to accept when there was someone at fault.

Feeling as if she were betraying his trust, she quickly left from the way he came, the door slamming precariously behind her. It didn't matter; Tim was too into himself to notice anything that was going on around him. If she couldn't get through, then sure enough the heavy sound of a door shutting wouldn't either. Jessica hated this. The moping, crying, hate and anger; everything that wasn't Tim shining through his normalcy. This needed to end, everything needed to go back to normal soon because God knows everything was weighing heavily on her too.

Later that night, Jessica went to Larry's restaurant with Amber to blow some steam and actually attempt to have a little fun. Everyone you could think of was there; eating, socializing, their voices melting into a symphony of incomprehensible sound. She looked around and spotted the typical groups of people: the rally girls and their friends situated towards the middle of the restaurant, various football players off toward the sides. She spotted Tim sitting alone with Tyra at a table eating whatever, and she immediately made her way over there, with Amber in tow.

"What's Tim doing here?" she asked.

Jessica shrugged in reply.

"Matt!" Amber exclaimed, pulling Jessica away from Tim's direction and into Matt's instead. Sensing her distress, she commented, "He needs time, y'know? Besides, you need a better influence." They took a seat on either side of him. Matt looked at Amber first, while in the process of taking a drink, then he looked at Jessica, weakly smiling at the awkwardness that this sudden get together ensued.

"Hey, Matt!" said Amber, smiling like always.

"Uh…hi." He replied, then said, "Jess," in acknowledgement of her presence. She was about to return the sentiment, but a blonde rally girl approached him right then, and with a flirtatious smile announced, "Hey Matt…So, I'm yours."

"Sorry?" blunt and confused. Jessica looked at her with annoyance, she didn't notice, though. Amber shook her head in disgust. "Of all the places…" she murmured. Jessica agreed.

"Well now that your first string, you get a first string rally girl," she continued, voice sweet and light. "So the way this usually works is, you tell me what you like and I'll provide it," she paused before adding, "So, what do you like Matt?"

"Uh…um…"

Jessica looked away, her appetite completely spoiled. Amber played with his discarded drink, swirling the mystery contents around its container. This interruption was more than rude, but then again, rally girls were always in their own world living by their own rules. All they could do was sit there, and wait for the charade to end.

"I make a mean chocolate coconut cake made with real butter," she clarified, finally noticing the confused expression on his face.

"What? That sounds-"

"Tell you what, why don't you try it? See what you think, and we'll move from there."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

With that she left, and Matt faced forward once again, a little lost at the unexpected conversation. Jessica frowned. She was never a fan of the rally girls, considering they were always fawning over one guy or the next, but even this was a new low. Approaching players in their spare time, even after what happened was ridiculous in her opinion. Why don't they just give everyone a break?

"No…no...no…I can't think of girls, I have a big game on Friday!"

Amber laughed. Jessica managed a little smirk. Matt's sheer innocence was just so…She sighed inwardly. So not like Tim…

Matt went on with his berating, and Jessica listened with little interest. Amber, on the other hand, was ecstatic to hold a conversation. Jessica's eyes kept wandering over to Tim's table, where he ate in silence, angrily staring into his plate with Tyra sitting right across from him, out of place and out of mind.

For one thing, she could hear Smash's conversation well enough, his boasting about his skills and how he would lead the team to state, and compensate for their lost player. In fact, most everyone in the restaurant could. It looked as if Tim could hear too, for he stared right at the booth with the angriest expression on his face. With that preamble, he got up and made his way over to him. Jessica looked on warily, not knowing if she should stop him or not; Tyra clearly had the same intentions, grabbing his arm in a last effort that was immediately denied.

Once he got over to him, he had the entire joint as his audience, but he didn't seem to care.

"Get out of the booth." He demanded.

"Man, whatchu talkin' about?" said Smash, not facing him at all, but speaking as if he was addressing his peers at the table.

"Get out of Jason's booth."

Jessica knew things were only going to go down from there. Tim was confrontational by nature, and very defensive, as his position on the team would suggest. Smash looked at him, unperturbed, turning towards him smugly with his arms still around the two girls on either side of his seat. His tone lowered, and Jessica could no longer hear him, but his countenance changed. After another exchange of words, he turned away; Tim was pissed to all hell, Jessica noticed, and Smash looked as if he still had more to say. Jessica rose from her seat, her companions oblivious to her intentions.

"Smile, Riggs. God don't like ugly."

Tim paused. And that's when shit went down.

Tim threw a bottle at Smash's booth, and with a resounding crack, it shattered against the window, showering shards down on the table and around the general vicinity of the impact. Jessica froze, not quite comprehending the scene. Amber gasped, grabbing Matt's arm in surprise. There was much of the same reaction going around the entire restaurant.

Tim left the place after the disagreement, ignoring the advances of his girlfriend. Smash stood, as if to confront him once again, but he let it go. Tim was taking out his anger on everyone, and quite frankly, it was ridiculous. She was tired of his methods of coping. Let him do what he wants.

It was no surprise that Tim went off again the next day at practice. Matt practiced his throws, and to his disappointment he did less than adequate to the other members of the team. Coach Taylor pushed them harder, ignoring the minor setbacks. He ordered the next play to be carried out, "Power 26" and it was put into action. The football was thrown from the quarterback to another player, Tim missing the pass and getting tackled as a consequence. In turn, the lack of defense was like the first domino to fall-it affected the rest of the play, and resulted in the opposing players getting the ultimate win.

The losers exclaimed their displeasure, Smash being the loudest of all yelling about how a starting player could tackle better than the overall best of the team.

Tim retorted with the pompous reply, "If you could run as fast as you talk, we'd probably score every time!"

"What, you got something to say to me!"

"Shut it, that's a fact!"

"You need to start getting behind my blocks. Right behind me!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger in his face. "I can't keep doing all this!"

And so it ensued, in a fight of slurs and fists, pushing and shoving at each other to better get their point across. Other players were pushed away from their furry, and even the coaches found it hard to intervene. After Tim managed to hit off Smash's helmet, Coach Taylor pulled him away, Tim still feeding off his fit of anger. Smash yelled insults on the opposite side of the field where he ended up; the Coach entirely upset, and Jessica losing the little bit of hope she had left.

"Big G, little O, GO GO!" chanted Lyla, and the cheerleaders followed suit. Reporters from the local NBC news station interviewed the football team as they went over their routine. Matt was basically the center of attention, being the replacement for Jason Street. The expectations everyone had for him were apparent through their eagerness and questions; he was at a loss for words, it seemed. Shuffling about, and not making eye contact for more than a few seconds at a time.

Jessica continued the repetitive rant, Amber at her side and the rest of them around, forming a sort of elongated oval situated on the inner rings of the track. Their hands clapping, arms forming angles in the air, then going down to their sides, their hips then receiving the most attention, rhythmically moving in circles to accentuate the letter they were shouting. From the corner of her eye, Jessica saw Tim approaching the field, helmet in hand and looking extremely hung over. She didn't expect more from him, being surprised that he decided to grace the field at all. Lyla saw him coming as well, and lofted over to him, leaving them to work out solo. Jessica frowned; if she had done that, she would have been reprimanded.

She followed them with her eyes the entire time they were together. Amber saw the way Jessica looked at them, a mixture of open annoyance and undisclosed hate. They sort of just stopped after the cheer was finished and took a collective break. Jessica didn't hide the fact that she was the uninvited audience to their conversation.

"I know you're not a chatter box or anything, but I'm here for you if you need anything," Said Lyla.

Tim kept walking, but replied, "Yeah, cool…"

"You know, Jason's been asking about you," A pressing smile. She was trying to get something more than an offhand answer from him and to Jessica's amusement, she was failing.

"Yeah, I was…. you know…"

"He's doing good," upon seeing his expression, she added, "You know, he's still Jason."

"Yeah…"

She kept talking, Tim not acknowledging anything except the fact that she was spewing words. Blank faces ended the conversation. Jessica looked away, not wanting to give herself up.

It was late the next day when everyone formally found out that Jason was paralyzed, from the waist down. It came as a shock to most, people assuming that he would make a full recovery in just a few weeks. It turned out that his injure was more severe than anyone put on; a fallacy that hurt him more than anything. Tim, from what Jessica later heard from Amber, took it hard; walking out of the football meeting as soon as the words left Coach Taylor's mouth. According to her, he wasn't really talking much either.

It seemed to be the same thing with him every day.

She didn't see him much the past couple of days, which proved to be an issue in and of itself; she relied on him for rides now, since her dad lost possession of the car. Since he was even more listless in his everyday activities, Jessica didn't bother with asking him for favors. She'd bear with the extra physical activity. She'd bear with it for as long as she needed, because despite what told herself, what she led other people to believe she…cared.

She hardly noticed that she was being flagged down with all that was running through head. She stopped herself on account of the flustered woman that was trying to catch her attention. Walking at a rushed pace, Mrs. Taylor approached Jessica with a semi-professional demeanor, forcefully smiling through her bout of exhaustion. She took in her appearance and figured that whatever she had to say was important; she did go through the trouble of finding her after school hours.

"Jess! …You are quite the busy one…I haven't been able to get ahold of you all day!" she huffed, an arm extending past Jessica to rest on the facing wall. Jessica shuffled her feet, waiting for her aunt to continue. Unfortunately, she probably had a lot to say; Jessica's concentration at the moment wouldn't be much of a help to her, however. But still, she had to give her the time of day. She was family, and she definitely didn't play the game called "disrespect".

" Well, I sorta have to head home to get ready for the game…"

"I won't take but a minute of your time," she reassured, leading Jessica away from the field, and probably to her office. She sighed heavily, realizing that this was going to take more than a minute.

After a short trek down the hallway, they arrived at her office. It was closed down for the day, leading Jessica to wonder why she went through all the trouble of bringing her here. She could've talked to her just as well out on the field, but she guessed it was just Mrs. Taylor's way; she was a woman of protocol, after all.

"Listen, Jess, I know you have a lot on your hands nowadays, and I must admit I am concerned,"

"I'm doing fi-"

"Jess," she interrupted, "I've been looking over your records, and I've noticed that you've frequently been both absence and late; your grades have fallen as well, probably on account of the latter." She softened a bit before adding, "Sweetie, is everything okay? You're not in trouble, are you?"

"Trouble?"

"Well, there's nothing going on at home, is there? Everything's alright with the family?" she paused, before gingerly adding, "You're not…pregnant, are you?"

"Pregnant!" she sputtered, chocking over the word. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, I don't know..! I'm just trying to understand how a practically straight A student dropped to a C in the matter of a year."

"Well…" Jessica was for once at a loss for words. She had absolutely no idea where that inquiry came from. She never did that…unprotected…but ugh! That was beside the point! As for the other half of that question, she'd rather not voice the answer out loud. It wasn't that bad…and she wasn't that fond of pity, or her Aunt's incessant fussing.

"Oh my God…" her Aunt said, and in a barely audible whisper she added, "It's Tim Riggins', isn't it?"

"I've never…with Tim…why would you…!" she blushed despite herself. Sure, she kissed him a couple of times, but it never went farther than that.

"Oh, it's just you two are so close…well, okay. Everything's fine then? You know you can come to me for anything. I'm always here and-"

"Um, yeah…I know, I really have to go now…"

"Of course! Support your team! Go Panthers!"

Jessica left the room without a second glance. Today was just not her day. Tim being late first thing, and now an assumed pregnancy…things could only go up from here.

Jessica was surprised to receive a call from her Uncle Eric later into the night, asking for a favor nonetheless. She was up for just about anything, given the stagnant environment she found herself being occupied by. She was down, for lack of a better word; about as moody as Tim himself, minus the fact that he had a valid reason to be an ass. She, on the other hand, was only grumpy because her emotional state seemed to depend on Tim's for some reason. She had a strong emotional attachment she couldn't explain. Had no idea where it came from, but she felt as if it was stamped all over her, a visible reminder of the mental torment she was forever going through.

So when her Uncle asked, "Can you be ready in five minutes?"

She aptly replied, "Hell yeah."

And of course she should've figured it had something to do with football, that's all this town, much less the people she hung around cared about in the long run. She rolled her eyes, and asked, "Exactly how do I factor into all of this?"

Eric thought for a moment before supplying, "Well, you're a cheerleader. You're the moral support. You know how to make the most discouraged person gain confidence."

Apparently, she couldn't do it for herself.

"And why does it have to be me?"

"Jess, we're family. You're obligated." A smile.

She couldn't help but crack one of her own. "So, I'm someone's personal cheerleader. Great…"

"I wouldn't put it like that…"

"Who am I helping out, Uncle Eric?"

"Matt Saracen."

She was honestly at a loss for words. "Why?"

"He doesn't entirely get this game."

"Oh." She didn't in the least know what he was talking about, but she was going to go with it. The last thing she wanted was for him to give a speech.

They stopped briefly at a house she figured was Matt's and waited in the car, as he went in to get him. Her Uncle was in there for a good twenty minutes, to her displeasure. She knew that Matt lived with his grandmother, so that was probably the reason. Old people loved to talk.

They came back in, Matt taking the passenger seat because Jessica moved to the back. She wanted to give the guys their own space. She felt a pep talk going on. Honestly, with all the things her uncle had to say, she failed to see why she had to be there. Her presence was obsolete.

In another couple of minutes they made it to the school football field, and they got out of the car, Matt the most confused of the bunch. Eric led them to the middle of the field, pitch black and empty. He stood with purpose, his intent not yet clear, but his stance exhibiting a message in and of itself.

And then he started talking. Jessica zoned after that, not paying attention to the shouting or bouts of exclamation. She'd make out Matt's voice every once in a while, shouting out some play, and even his name at some point. Jessica absorbed it all; his determination, sheer will to succeed. It provided a sense of euphoria, yet instead of her mind wandering around the possibilities, they were anchored.

To this one moment.

She realized what her Uncle was doing now. What he was trying to make her see. Why he brought her along.

She shouted. She didn't think about it. She joined in with the chorus of Matt's voice, contributed to the underlying tones of her Uncles. She shouted until her voice was hoarse, and couldn't remember why she started in the first place. She let it all out.

AN: Yup. Angsty chapter. Jessica's sort of going through a rough patch right now, but I'm sure things will get better for her soon enough. And there's gonna be something special in the next chapter *hint hint* XD!


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